Steps in Chanting

A seeker asked that even after making a lot of efforts, I am not able to do the Jap (chant) of ‘Om Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaaye Om Om’ that I have been asked to do, I am able to only say ‘Krushna’, what should I do to complete the chant?  The rule worth paying attention to here is that in spirituality, proceeding from many to one, is the principle.  Following this, what is recommended first is – ‘Om Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaay Om Om’ must be chanted, later chanting merely ‘Krushna’ and in the end, becoming one with Krushna are the grades in ascending order in spirituality.  Similarly, at first, ‘Shree Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’ , then ‘Shree Ram’ and in the end ‘Ram’ – this is the way chanting takes place.

–  Paratpar Guru   His Holiness Dr. Jayant Balaji Athavale

(Phalgun Shukl Paksh Panchami, Kaliyug Varsh 5114 (16.3.2013), courtesy Marathi Sanatan Prabhat (dainiksanatanprabhat.blogspot.in)

Implied Meaning:   In the above Suvachan, the ascending progress from Sagun (manifest form) to Nirgun (Formless) as per Naamsankirtanyog (path of chanting)  has been mentioned.  In the beginning, the entire Naamjap takes place and after that, the focal point of the Jap, meaning Ram or Krushna, becomes the Jap or Ardh Jap (half-chant), for the mind starts getting immersed in the Chaitanya (divine consciousness) and after that, as the progress towards Nirgun starts taking place, increasingly, not words, but Bhav (spiritual emotion) is all that remains and in the end, having attained the state of Bhavateet (beyond the realm of Bhav) and Trigunateet (beyond the three Gunas or virtues), everything gets reduced to Shunya (nothingness) and the mind starts becoming totally blissful and in a state of thoughtlessness and this is what is known as attaining the state of oneness with God, implying to begin with, Jap takes place in the mind, from many thoughts to one thought, meaning it starts getting centered around one Jap and after that, as the mind begins progressing towards Nirgun state, the words of even the Jap start disappearing and the mind which is in a state of Shunya, means the mind starts getting Anubhuti of the state of thoughtlessness.